Trump’s takeover of DC police department faces new lawsuit amid crackdown

Washington, DC lawyer wide says successful a caller suit that Trump is going acold beyond his powerfulness nether the law.

The United States capital, Washington, DC, has challenged President Donald Trump’s takeover of its constabulary section successful court, hours aft his medication stepped up its crackdown connected policing by naming the Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) chief, a national official, arsenic the caller exigency caput of the department, with each the powers of a constabulary chief.

District of Columbia Attorney General Brian Schwalb said connected Friday successful a caller suit that Trump is exceeding his powerfulness nether the law. Schwalb urged a justice to regularisation that power of the section remains successful the city’s hands, and helium has besides sought an exigency restraining order.

“The administration’s unlawful actions are an affront to the dignity and autonomy of the 700,000 Americans who telephone D.C. home. This is the gravest menace to Home Rule that the District has ever faced, and we are warring to halt it,” Schwalb said.

Washington Mayor Muriel Bowser besides pushed back, penning connected societal media that “there is nary statute that conveys the District’s unit authorization to a national official.”

Let america beryllium wide astir what the instrumentality requires during a Presidential declared emergency: it requires the politician of Washington, DC to supply the services of the Metropolitan Police Department for national purposes astatine the petition of the President.

We person followed the law.

In… pic.twitter.com/XfaNqLalFU

— Mayor Muriel Bowser (@MayorBowser) August 15, 2025

The suit comes aft Trump’s Attorney General Pam Bondi said connected Thursday nighttime that DEA brag Terry Cole volition presume “powers and duties vested successful the District of Columbia Chief of Police”. The Metropolitan Police Department “must person support from Commissioner Cole” earlier issuing immoderate orders, Bondi said.

Earlier this week, Trump announced that the national authorities would instrumentality power of the District of Columbia (DC) Metropolitan Police Department to code surging crime.

“I’m announcing a historical enactment to rescue our nation’s superior from crime, bloodshed, bedlam and squalor and worse,” Trump said during the quality conference, successful which helium was joined by Bondi, who was initially acceptable to oversee the city’s constabulary unit portion it is nether national control.

“This is Liberation Day successful DC, and we’re going to instrumentality our superior back. We’re taking it back,” Trump said.

He besides announced the deployment of the National Guard.

“I’m deploying the National Guard to assistance re-establish law, bid and nationalist information successful Washington, DC, and they’re going to beryllium allowed to bash their occupation properly,” helium said.

Trump besides said that helium intends to region the capital’s stateless population, but did not supply details connected however the program would beryllium carried out.

Residents wary of escalated amusement of force

A Washington colonisation already connected borderline from days of Trump medication ramp-ups has begun witnessing much important shows of unit crossed the city.

National Guard troops watched implicit immoderate of the country’s astir renowned landmarks and Humvees took presumption successful beforehand of the engaged main bid hub, Union Station.

Volunteers person helped stateless radical permission longstanding encampments, but wherever they were relocating to was often unclear.

Department of Homeland Security constabulary stood extracurricular Nationals Park during a shot crippled connected Thursday. DEA agents patrolled The Wharf, a fashionable nightlife area, portion Secret Service officers were seen successful the Foggy Bottom neighbourhood.

The abrupt spike successful precocious visibility of national forces astir the city, including successful galore engaged postulation areas, has struck residents going astir their day-to-day lives.

Trump has the powerfulness to instrumentality implicit national instrumentality enforcement for 30 days earlier his actions indispensable beryllium reviewed by Congress, though helium has said helium volition re-evaluate arsenic that deadline approaches.

National Guard troops are usually little of a dense beingness successful Washington’s metropolitan area, typically being utilized during wide nationalist events similar the yearly July 4 celebration. They person regularly been utilized successful the past for assemblage power successful and astir Metro stations.